Concentration, Meditation, and Contemplation

by Robert Wilkinson

Let's get metaphysical! Today we explore how the evolving mind learns to go beyond its natural limitations.

This will only be introductory, since the topic is vast and would require a book to thoroughly explore the process. That said, today's offering will help all to become more effective in whatever life direction you want to explore. Training the mind to focus is all-important if we would translate our realizations into practice.

It is in the nature of the mind to be distractible. That's because the mind is bihemispheric, and uses a "sequence and selection" process as it drifts through the proverbial ten thousand things. While this leads us to interesting perspectives and realizations, it also tends to scatter our mind's ability to get and stay focused on any one or two things for the length of time it takes for us to become skilled in mastering the objects of that focus.

The mind therefore could be described as duality functioning through curiosity. However, as the Heart is the Seat of Knowledge, our minds can never truly know much of anything except a string of perceptions. The mind continually seeks knowledge but never finds it. Due to its ceaseless wanderings, our mind's natural weaknesses of indecision and distractibility come forth. It is these that must be antidoted if we would find the focus to develop our Higher Self however that is defined throughout our life.

So how to do antidote the distractibility and indecisiveness of our mind? By seeing how to use its natural functions and strengths in a more effective manner. In realizing and applying a clear vision leading to a pattern to growth, we override the drifting and lack of focus tendencies that are the mind's weaknesses.

The mind has as one of its strengths the ability to order perceptions through the "compare and contrast" function. This is valuable in teaching us critical thinking skills, and therefore develop the Divine 3rd Ray energies of "Intelligence in Action." When we master referencing the 3rd Ray energies, then we can see how to order, how to further, how to know, and how to see a way beyond the frictions born of duality.

In applying our mental strengths, we must first learn the art and science of Concentration. This allows the mind to practice being "one-pointed" so we can go deeper into the meaning of things. Concentration is necessary to order the mind in its explorations so that it can prioritize what it wants to know.

It has been said that the Consciousness first must train the mind to concentrate before it can truly meditate, and that meditation must be developed before we can contemplate the greater meaning and purpose around any manifestation, personal, interpersonal, or transpersonal. This process of learning first Concentration, then Meditation, and finally Contemplation results in the Mastery of the Mind, and allows us to see all things in a larger perspective.

There are many techniques to learn to concentrate. Try any and all of them to see which techniques work best for you. I learned to concentrate by reading Spiritual, Metaphysical, and Astrological works while shutting out all the distracting ideas and feelings of my personality.

I kept trying to get a specific focus on whatever I was exploring so that I could understand what was being said or written. I believe it is very useful to try to relax into whatever you are doing or learning while ignoring the random white noise in my environment. Focus on exactly what you're reading, how it relates to what you've read, and imagine understanding the bigger picture conveyed beyond the words.

Another useful exercise to focus our mind is learning to listen to the words we are speaking, and evaluate whether we are saying what we want to say and using the right words, or are we unfocused, unclear, or just filling the air with sounds. As you concentrate on what you're saying and why you're saying it, you'll become clearer about what you want to say and what you don't want to say. It certainly helps us clear out unhelpful affirmations!

As we develop the strengths of our mind and learn to apply them toward whatever we want to know, then the ability to meditate on that knowing becomes easier. When we learn how to reference meditating on a thing, the ability to contemplate how that thing is related to a larger field of knowing develops over time.

I have heard some assert that Meditation is somehow greater than or the same as Contemplation. This confuses the nature of how these two are related. They are different tools, useful for different purposes at different points in how we regard whatever perception or knowledge we wish to explore.

The sequence of Concentration, Meditation, and Contemplation can be seen as a form of attachment, followed by detachment, developing into pure knowing without the mind's weaknesses distorting that knowing. First we attach our focus to a thing or process, then we learn to detach from the mind's specific focus while not losing the general focus, this ultimately developing into a knowing without having to think or not think.

As a general rule, Meditation begins with a focus that excludes the perceptual mind's distractibility. Contemplation can only have a non-specific focus so that the awareness of how everything is related to everything else naturally arises. We cannot truly contemplate a thing without there being an element of meditation present.

Both Meditation and Contemplation are both beyond the lower mind's scattering tendencies, though most meditational techniques focus on not attaching to the lower mind's distractions. As we learn to still the chatter of random perceptions that draw us away from the focus on concentration, then we can more easily detach from that chatter into an awareness of the interrelationships between the object or process we originally focused on and other phenomenon in the larger field of relatedness.

While some of this is very abstract, all of it will become clearer when you revisit this material and try to apply its precepts in your life however you feel is appropriate. With practice over time, you will find yourself more easily concentrating on whatever you want to, and find meditational paths that work for you. As you develop skill in these, you will acquire and master the power to contemplate the Light/Life in all things, and see/know how all things are related within the larger Dharma of your Lovingly Wise Intelligent Consciousness.

Comments

Great Post Robert! Meditation is a wonderful practice to quiet the noise in our mind and body that keep us from our birthright of a pain/stress-free existence filled with Love, Compassion Forgiveness.... A subject that has filled many books explaining many different approaches. As you know I teach Yoga, and Meditation is a big part of the practice. I would like to offer a simple technique to help the student focus the mind. The practice of Pranayama; Prana (Breath, Life Force), Yama (control) will greatly aid in any Meditation. When we begin to incorporate Pranayama in our Meditation we support our Mind and Body to be at ease. The simple way of focusing on our breath on the tip of the nose as we inhale and exhale though the nose will very quickly and gently focus our busy minds. The "Monkey" our Ego in our mind that keeps us from being supportive as we practice meditation now has something to do other that jibber jabber about things that keep us from our birthright. The breath may also be directed to areas in the body that are experiencing tension. With practice our body and mind will silence our aches and pains that constantly keep us on edge and away from extending the Moment of Bliss. In addition; alternate nostril breathing as preparation for meditation will balance out both the left and right side of the brain as well. I am grateful for you posting an article on Meditation and wish that your readers far and near are inspired to practice. Namaste PPP

wow. i think what you could say for a more now idea of it would be this: drum. use both hands and read a particular rhythm say two measures hitting on the 2 &3, 4, and then next on say the 1&, 4&; you do that with your conscious mind, left brain, until your unconscious, right brain takes over and then you go to this place of bliss and automatic knowing. Been there, done that. because the feeling heart and thinking pluralistic mind we each have meet in the beats and their absence. try it. it's not easy and then suddenly eventually like learning to drive a car or swim, it's magic.

Hi Philipp - Thanks for the offering. I'm sure some will take to it quickly!

Hi Cherry - Sounds like you know the heart of the beat and how it affects consciousness. Great meditation, since sound and vibration have effects on many levels of our brain and consciousness.

Hi ozzy - Because I didn't think it relevant to this comment stream. I moved it over to the Bob Gaudio thread, since Jeff and Bob are both musicians who share the same birthday. On a related note, in the late 60s and early 70s I was a huge fan of Tim Buckley, Jeff's dad, and your comment moved me to go to youtube and listen again to one of the most haunting voices I've ever heard.